It seems like Barcelona can add another problem to their list. After being eliminated from the Champions League, their bad position in the La Liga standings and their financial crisis, now the Catalans are involved in an investigation by FIFA for the signing of Frenkie De Jong.
According to a special report by The Daily Mail, FIFA are trying to end what the organization calls “a wild west culture” between the agents of players, who usually earn big commissions when one of their players make a move between clubs. Just recently, Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola has been in the headlines for reportedly asking $55 millions to sell the Norwegian.
The report states that at least “on 10 occasions in recent years, an individual football agent has been paid at least £10m for his role in moving a player between one European club and another.” And Frenkie De Jong’s move to Barcelona is among the ones being inquired.
FIFA at war with the agents, Frenkie De Jong’s case being investigated
The Daily Mail explains that FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino has been working on a regulation of the transfer market, which is reportedly very desired for greater fairness and wealth redistribution among clubs.
Among the recent cases being investigated for the organization is Frenkie’s De Jong move from Ajax to Barcelona in 2018 (86 millions euros). FIFA are also looking into the moves of Emre Can from Liverpool and Juventus and Hirving Lozano from PSV Eindhoven to Napoles during the same year. There’s other
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and agent Mino Raiola (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
According to theDaily Mail, the reforms have already passed three stages of FIFA Council approval. Some of the changes “will involve capping any agents’ fees at 10 percent of any transfer fee (paid by the selling club), and three per cent of a player’s wages, for contract negotiations.” They also want all transactions to be made public, if possible.
Of course, agents are against this. In an interview with the Spanish outlet AS, Mino Raiola said that “FIFA attacks the agents to cover their own problems. If we exist, it is because players and clubs need us.” If the regulations end up being approved, there are going to be hard reactions.
